[sandyjoys]

At what age do you think that it stops being appropriate to bring an opposite gendered child into a restroom (ie a girl going in with her father, or mom taking her son to the bathroom)? What if it is a single parent in a theme park or airport or someplace with many strangers?

(Also, I know a lot of us have special need kids, to which I say different rules apply)

[razzledobe]

I'm really looking forward to reading responses as i'm a first time parent and curious as to what is considered to be normal vs. creeperish.

I think i'm lucky that I have a boy... because I think for some reason i'd be more concerned with my DH taking in a daughter into the mens room vs. the other way around just because there tends to be more privacy in female restrooms.

[BittyBugsMama]

8 - 9 is what I think I'm comfortable with but that may change once I have children that age. Who knows.

[HappyHippy]

I really don't care. I think bathrooms should be unisex anyways (family bathrooms, etc). It all depends on the parents and children. A 12 year old girl with a single dad may have disabilities that aren't visable and need help going to the bathroom, vise versa.

[K.A.T]

I think it depends on the situation. Honestly, things like that don't bother me. If I had to put an age on it, I would say about 9+ is when it starts becoming odd. By then a child should have no issues going to the bathroom alone. So if a father was out with their 9 year old daughter I don't see why he can't just stand outside the ladies room while she's inside using it or vice versa.

[Tammyjh]

Originally Posted by MommaBee

I really don't care. I think bathrooms should be unisex anyways (family bathrooms, etc). It all depends on the parents and children. A 12 year old girl with a single dad may have disabilities that aren't visable and need help going to the bathroom, vise versa.

I agree with this.

[lesliek0211]

I think all restrooms should have private stalls and be uni-sex. I have never understood why someone thought that men wanted to pee in front of each other. That is so strange.
As far as age goes, I agree with Razzledobe, it would probably depend on whether my girl was going to go into the men's room or a boy going into the women's. Luckily, most places we frequent have family restrooms for all sexes.

[Repti.Mom]

You know I find it weird that even in my own opinion I can see bringing an older boy into the women's bathroom versus an older girl into a men's bathroom being more 'normal'. Probably because of the open pee session in the men's room lol.

What about a dad having to go into the women's bathroom because there are no changing stations in the men's room. I mean seriously Walmart even has family bathrooms. Get to it America!

I have been letting Noah go to the bathroom by himself for a few years. He's almost 10. I also let Jayde take RJ into the girls room, or let her and Sydney go together. I tried letting Sydney go once a few months back by herself and she got lost (and is almost 7) so it just depends on the maturity of the child and the situation I guess.

[GSLynn]

I have taken my boys into the ladies' locker room with me. Heck if they're going anywhere by themselves until I can trust them a little more (unless it's a 1 person bathroom, then they can go in the appropriate one). I did have to take my girls into a mens' bathroom once when the women's was locked and they could NOT wait to go. There was one regular toilet and one wall toilet (which they did ask about that). Someone did try to come in but when he saw me he said "Oh, I'm sorry" lol and waited for us to get done. No big deal. I don't think my kids really care too much about everyone else's body parts and I would hope no one is paying that much attention to my kids.

I guess my opinion is that if ya gotta go, you gotta go and if the parent that is taking you is the opposite sex, then that's just how it is.

[Repti.Mom]

OH! Just remembered this little fact too.. The kids' school has a pool, (partially for the special needs children for therapy, partially for public swimming lessons), on the outside of the locker room they have posted that no one over the age of 6 is allowed in the opposite sex locker room.

Again, the maturity thing, but if DH was the one that had taken the kids to swim lessons it would have taken him HOURS to get out of there just because how long Sydney takes to change, and he wouldn't have been allowed in there with her, or her in the boys room.

[razzledobe]

^^^ our gym also has a policy of no opposite sex children in the locker rooms regardless of age. But they have a LARGE family locker room....

[plan4fate]

I'd never really thought of it before. I usually don't bat an eye over kids in the restroom with a parent unless the kid strikes me as just seeming too old.

PS's lil guy can't go poo unattended and he is almost 6. Both my brothers were able to by that age. So there really is no magic number.

[melkissa2004]

At our YMCA, the locker rooms state no children over 6 of the opposite sex. I'm not sure what I think yet.

[MindyRambo]

Originally Posted by MommaBee

I really don't care. I think bathrooms should be unisex anyways (family bathrooms, etc). It all depends on the parents and children. A 12 year old girl with a single dad may have disabilities that aren't visable and need help going to the bathroom, vise versa.

ITA

Originally Posted by melkissa2004

At our YMCA, the locker rooms state no children over 6 of the opposite sex. I'm not sure what I think yet.

Perfect example, if I had a 6 or 7 year old boy and was all alone with him, I would be terrified to let him go into the mens room all alone!

[Undomesticated Housewife]

Originally Posted by razzledobe

I'm really looking forward to reading responses as i'm a first time parent and curious as to what is considered to be normal vs. creeperish.

I think i'm lucky that I have a boy... because I think for some reason i'd be more concerned with my DH taking in a daughter into the mens room vs. the other way around just because there tends to be more privacy in female restrooms.

Agreed. I don't think there is enough privacy in men's bathrooms to want my girl going in with dad, but I understand it may have to happen if there is no one to take her in another bathroom & no family bathroom. I've seen a boy that appeared to be 11-12 years old in the girls bathroom & never even thought anything about it until the mom pulled his pants down and practically beat him right in front of me and the kids (if you are going to beat your child in the public bathroom, please go in a stall). I doubt I would have even noticed if that hadn't happened.

No WAY would I send my son into a guys locker room alone! Geez. Some say "no matter the age"?? I sure hope that isn't enforced with the under 2 age group, AT LEAST!

[My2miracles]

Originally Posted by K.A.T

I think it depends on the situation. Honestly, things like that don't bother me. If I had to put an age on it, I would say about 9+ is when it starts becoming odd. By then a child should have no issues going to the bathroom alone. So if a father was out with their 9 year old daughter I don't see why he can't just stand outside the ladies room while she's inside using it or vice versa.

The thought of this terrifies me. What if there is someone in there waiting to molest her? Ir worse? My dd is 9 and while I don't want her in a men's room, I want her alone in a public bathroom less. There was a incident gosh it's been probably 20 years but a little girl went to the bathroom & never came out. Someone killed her in there.

[K.A.T]

Originally Posted by My2miracles

The thought of this terrifies me. What if there is someone in there waiting to molest her? Ir worse? My dd is 9 and while I don't want her in a men's room, I want her alone in a public bathroom less. There was a incident gosh it's been probably 20 years but a little girl went to the bathroom & never came out. Someone killed her in there.

Never really thought about that. Good point. Let me think and get back to you.

[*Jillian*]

I thought that happened to a boy.

CNN - Suspect arrested in case of boy killed in public bathroom - November 16, 1998

Anyway, I would take my child with me in any area that I didn't feel was safe. I don't care how old they are. I can't put an age on when I feel like they won't be in danger. That all depends on where I am and what we are doing.

[My2miracles]

Originally Posted by *Jillian*

I thought that happened to a boy.

CNN - Suspect arrested in case of boy killed in public bathroom - November 16, 1998

Anyway, I would take my child with me in any area that I didn't feel was safe. I don't care how old they are. I can't put an age on when I feel like they won't be in danger. That all depends on where I am and what we are doing.

Could have been - it was a long time ago. But some how I remember a girl & it being Las Vegas..... Have to go research. I may be mixing up 2 stories.

This is the one I was remembering:

National News Briefs - Girl, 7, Raped and Slain At a Casino in Nevada - NYTimes.com

7 year old girl in Las Vegas

[plan4fate]

Originally Posted by My2miracles

Could have been - it was a long time ago. But some how I remember a girl & it being Las Vegas..... Have to go research. I may be mixing up 2 stories.

This is the one I was remembering:

National News Briefs - Girl, 7, Raped and Slain At a Casino in Nevada - NYTimes.com

7 year old girl in Las Vegas

Wow. that's so sad.


I think it also depends on the area you are in at the time. You could easily let a child use the bathroom on their own in the town I grew up in. But in a larger city, not gonna happen.